This book is the outcome of nearly two years of deep immersion in Mevlana’s teachings, biographies and letters. Growing up in a Persian speaking household, I knew of Mevlana Rumi’s poetry.

However, reading Mevlana’s poems is one thing; truly understanding them is another. It’s only when I started reading about Mevlana with a deeper interest that his teachings started to unfold before me.

In my journey I found that though there are a lot of books which speak of his poetry or his biography there isn’t a single book that charts his mystical journey for a learner. How do the steps in Mevlana’s eventful life correlate to his spiritual advancement? What can today’s seekers learn from his journey? What are the books that Mevlana read, the challenges he faced, and the teachings that he imbibed? What can we learn not just from Mevalan’s teachings, but also from his life and spiritual journey?Mevlana Rumi’s mystical journey reveals the successive steps that a seeker of truth has to go through and the stages that bring one to realization.

-------Following are the chapters in the book. IntroductionIn the ‘Introduction’ chapter we examine the three stages of mystical journey that Mevlana Rumi went through.

We also correlate these three spiritual stations with the different phases of Mevlana’s life. In Search for PeaceIn the chapter ‘In Search for Peace’ we view Mevlana’s early life, his family in Balkh (Afghanistan) and the grandeur of ancient Balkh.

We also examine the deep simmering problems in the Islamic world during that time that made it vulnerable to the marauding Mongols. We follow Mevlana Rumi in his journey through the deserts, mountains and caravanserais, his meetings with many luminaries on his expedition from Balkh to Konya and his warm reception in the royal court of the Seljuk emperor.

Growing Up In KonyaIn the chapter ‘Growing Up In Konya’ we observe how Mevlana Rumi started his life in Konya and found unexpected support in his old teacher. We then follow the Mevlana as he went back to school and eventually matured into a widely admired jurist, teacher and preacher in Konya.

The Coming of God’s Friend‘The Coming of God’s Friend’ was the arrival of Sheikh Shams who helped to transform Mevlana Rumi from a learned scholar into a humble friend of God. This was a remarkable period of cleansing in Mevlana’s spiritual journey, and is also one of the most enigmatic and fascinating periods of his life.

Finding Peace Amidst TurmoilWhen the world fell apart and his beloved teacher and friend disappeared then how did Mevlana Rumi find peace? Who were his students and friends who helped him? In this chapter we also follow Mevlana’s life as he endured the winds of change due to the Mongol invasion of Konya and the various changes in the regime. LegacyIn this chapter we seek to understand Mevlana's Sama gatherings, poetry and spirituality.

What exactly prompted Mevalana to start Sama gatherings? We “visit” Mevlana’s Sama congregation as a fly on the wall to hear him sing God’s glory - not just with his tongue but with his entire body. His poetry similarly was like waves of water bursting through a dam in uncontrolled spiritual ecstasy.

We examine the spontaneity in Mevlana’s poetry, the beauty of ghazals and rubaiyats. Mevlana had infinite trust in God’s love and kindness and through his poetry Mevlana shares this belief with us.

AfterwordFinally in ‘Afterword’ we give our respect to Mevlana by reciting his verses that fill us with happiness and hope. -------Mevlana Rumi’s works have moved, transformed, and healed many hearts, guiding people to God.

The author has deep gratitude for Mevlana and all friends of God whose works continue to benefit us every day. May this book bring you peace and happiness.

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